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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Dominion Post
November 17, 2003

Former priest to be extradited

A former Wellington Catholic priest trying to avoid being forcibly removed from Britain is set to have his day in Upper Hutt District Court after losing a High Court appeal against an extradition order over 19 child-sex assault charges.

Alan Woodcock has lived in England since the late 1980s, but a High Court decision issued from London at the weekend ruled the 55-year-old must return to New Zealand to face trial on charges involving 12 boys dating back more than 20 years. Woodcock, formerly of Upper Hutt, is accused of indecently assaulting the teenage boys at Silverstream and Palmerston North between 1982 and 1985 while working as a teacher.

He was ordained a Marist priest in 1972 and 10 years later was appointed to St Patrick's College, Silverstream, where he worked in the music department. He was moved from there to Palmerston North, where he worked in a non-teaching role.

Woodcock, who was arrested in London in August last year, has 14 days to appeal against the decision and if that fails must return to New Zealand within 28 days.

Woodcock's lawyers based their fight against extradition on the belief it would be a breach of British law. Woodcock claimed it would be impossible for him to have a fair trial if extradited, and the length of time between the alleged offences and current legal proceedings meant he should not have to return.

In his decision Lord Justice Simon Brown ruled otherwise. "In my judgment, however, there can be no cut-off point beyond which extradition must inevitably be regarded as unjust or oppressive."

The judge said he had also taken into account that the charges related to "grave offences" -- mostly against minors involving a serious abuse of Woodcock's position of trust as a priest and teacher.

"It seems to be, in any event, puzzling in present times why someone should be able to improve their chances of escaping trial by travelling abroad and then changing their circumstances in their new country of residence," the judge said.

Woodcock moved to Ireland in 1987, after working for five years at the Futuna Retreat House in Karori, Wellington.

In 1990 he moved to London, where he trained as an adult therapist before taking a job providing counselling and crisis intervention for passengers and staff at Heathrow airport.

Woodcock, who lived in Crystal Palace, south London, has not worked as a priest since 1995. He gave up the priesthood last year.